Sauvignon Blanc: white magic
Stand-alone or boosting a blend, this unforgettable character loves good food and makes good times
Freshly, lively, food-friendly Sauvignon Blanc is among the most instantly recognizable varietals. It flaunts piercing aromas of gooseberry, cut grass, asparagus, flowering currant, green pepper, nettles—and even cat’s pee. This cool climate grape reaches its apex of aromatic intensity and zesty crispness in France’s Loire Valley (showing a minerally, flinty, smoky, lemony character in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé) and in New Zealand (often bursting with ripe tropical fruit flavours in wines of the South Island’s Marlborough region).
In Bordeaux, it is traditionally blended with Sémillon to make less intense whites to go with local fruit de mers, and also sweet, botrytised dessert wine. Use of oak is the exception. Examples of oak aged Sauvignon Blanc include white Graves, a Sémillon blend, and Fumé Blanc, a name invented by Robert Mondavi for oak style Sauvignon Blanc.
Quick facts
- Coined in California in 1981, the term Meritage (pronounced like heritage) is the trademark for wines blended from traditional Bordeaux varieties
- White Meritage is made by blending two or more of Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Sauvignon Vert
- Chile’s Casablanca region and South Africa’s Cape region are successful Sauvignon Blanc producers
Best way to enjoy
Food pairings: Loire style with goat’s cheese, asparagus quiche, salad, light fish, oysters; New Zealand style with flavourful seafood, vegetables, pork (slightly sweet and cooked with spices) and Meritage with richly sauced fish dishes, lobster
Temperature: 6-8 C
Type of glass: tulip-shaped wine glass
Read more of the original stories celebrated in our 30th-anniversary issue.
Gold Medal Plates
Okanagan Olympic athlete Kelly Serwa samples a confection by Edmonton chef Andrew Fung—In the Valley we will pair most anything with a glass of wine. So, matching the Okanagan wine region with the country’s top culinary talent makes a perfect partnership. Gold Medal Plates, a coast-to-coast
Parent Trap
Complex family relationships and hectic lives create serious challenges for today’s parents. But there’s more help available than you might think — Around 6 p.m. the doors to a downtown Kelowna office building swing open intermittently. Men and women enter solemnly alone, making their way up the stairs, into the offices of the Kelowna Family Centre and a classroom where 15 chairs are set out in three neat rows.
International Childrens’ Games Kelowna 2011
Central Okanagan shooters seize the opportunity to stretch their photographic skills and capture some unforgettable moments in the young careers of what may prove to be tomorrow’s Olympic heroes. Concentration is etched on the faces of skaters taking in last minute instructions from their coaches as they prepare for one final practice at the International Children’s Games in Kelowna. Competition now just hours away, their every move is captured by the panning lenses of a group of amateur photographers who have volunteered to record the games.
Support the YMCA/YWCA
Thanks to the generosity of local donors and support of volunteers, more children, teens and families will be able to participate in and enjoy the full benefits of YMCA-YWCA programs at a time when many families simply cannot afford the costs involved.
Choice Happenings in the Okanagan
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Kelowna Secondary School Class of ’81 Reunion Jul. 23/11
Kelowna Secondary School’s grad class of 1981 (WOW! – can that be 30 years already?) is gearing up for its big reunion on July 23. For more info, call Darcy at 403.932.7273 or email groovy.chik@shaw.ca.
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